DRAGONQUEEN: RISE OF THE SILVER PHOENIX

Chapter 15 - Council Session

The nobles all stare at her expectantly as she turns towards them to sit. Weathered faces, both young and old stare at her. Her nerves feel like they are going to shatter into a thousand pieces at the slightest provocation. She looks at Leticia, but her face is a mask of stone where she stands prominent among other magicians. Her daughter Lisa stands next to her looking calm and relaxed.

How can she look so calm while I feel like a nervous wreck?

She sees Harold holding a scroll in his hand looking expectantly as if he is waiting for her to give the go-ahead. "Please proceed, Harold," commands Rebecca in a shaky voice.

I am not done with the slavery issue. One way or another I will put a stop to this. I can not allow slave trade to continue under my rule!

Still feels weird to think of people and a country under my rule.

He then went on to announce every lord and lady present at the council as well as their respective titles. He then went on to announce the agenda of the council meeting.

"We were just discussing a matter on whether to raise the taxes for the second time this year. We are not getting enough gold in to buy the necessary resources for your coronation, resources necessary for the upkeep of the castle, also to build new trade ships after the last three ships have been lost at sea," Herold reads down from a scroll.

Rebecca cringes noticeable at this news on top of that the terrible economical state of the kingdom. She hears the arguments of the nobles and she panics slightly in regards to the resources they will fail to gain. She takes into account the current turmoil abroad and knew that the Golden Valley is cut off from the world. Civil unrest in Mandera will eventually cause them to split into several separate kingdoms, namely, Japan, China, and Korea. The Caribbean isles are completely underdeveloped, so unless she requires the aid of pirates, aid from those isles is out of the question and that includes trading. This leaves Rebecca with only one option. Get the kingdom to stand on its own feet without outside support.

There is enough rich farming soil here and the rest of the kingdom and she is certain that mining can produce both gold, gems, silver, bronze, and the most crucial resource that she requires, iron ore and stone cutters. If woodcutters are smart enough to replenish their supply through planting trees, there is also an ample supply of wood. By the food she has tasted thus far, it lacks salt. It could be a golden opportunity if she can get someone to train in salt mining.

The treasurer gives all the reasons why the rise in taxes is required and like all their predecessors, none of them saw the solution to a sinking ship. Rebecca shifts in her chair as Charles concludes his long-winded speech.

Rebecca still finds his voice extremely annoying, to the point where she feels, she wants to strangle him.

"Can you honestly retrieve these taxes you just spoke about from all the citizens of the kingdom? Can you in all honesty tell that this figure is accurate?" Rebecca asks calmly

"Of course, if your subject does not pay the taxes, they shall be thrown in the dungeon, to await their punishment in a fair trial," Charles replies.

A fair trial? These people don't even know how to spell fair trial. This is ridiculous. I can not believe I have to teach country leaders how to be honest!

"What is the punishment you give the people that can not pay their taxes?" Rebecca asks.

"Fifty lashes by the whipping post and then they are released. In extreme cases the family is enslaved." Charles replies.

I can't believe this shit. This has got to be a bloody joke.

"Just to be thrown into the dungeon and whipped again the next season. Simply because they do not have the money to pay?" Rebecca presses on.